The Glorification of Self

Carl and Connie Giordano

607 N. Alexander Ave. #148-M

Duncanville, TX. 75116

“During the last fifteen years or so, there has arisen a powerful and influential Movement, both in the secular world and religious world. It has affected all walks of life, both believers and unbeliev­ers.

The emphasis is on SELF and the necessity of “coming to a higher view of yourself”. It is “feeling good about yourself” and “getting in touch with your inner self” and “gaining a new sense of personal value and worth”. The real enemy, we are told, of mankind is low or poor self-esteem, a poor self-image and self-concept.

The fact of the matter is that this “Self-esteem” philosophy is propagated alike by liberals, non­believers in the secular and business world, as well as by fundamental evangelicals and Pentecostal ministers and Bible-believing Christians. It is also a great part of the New Age Movement.”

This is a quote taken from the preface of an excellent book calledTHE KINGDOM CULT OF SELFwritten by Kevin J. Conner. This particular book needs to be read and studied by every preacher and Christian alike. By the help of God’s Holy Spirit, I will be using many explicit excerpts from this book as well as the Bible to bring forth a Gospel message counteracting this diabolical Movement. As God leads in the near future, may we all do our part to pray and preach this Movement back to hell where it came from! The Bible emphatically warns us in 2 Timothy 3:1-2 about what to expect in these last days:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. FOR MEN SHALL BE L0VERS OF THEIR 0WN SELVES…”

In these last days, it is so important that you know what the Bible says on every issue of life. It is significant to your spiritual as well as your physical well-being to read and study the Bible daily. God said in Hosea 4:6:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…

This is serious business! What you don’t know will ruin you! Matthew 16:26 says, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Ignorance, slothfulness, or fear of standing alone against the tide of error is no exchange for a soul deceived and damned for eternity! Romans 13:11 says, “And that, KNOWING THE TIME, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ” “MEN SHALL BE L0VERS OF THEIR 0WN SELVES… ” In other words, men shall be utterly self-centered. This is presently taking place in the “Self-Esteem Movement”. As Kevin J. Conner said, “The em­phasis is on SELF and the necessity of “coming to a higher view of yourself”. On pages 1-2 of his book THE KINGDOM CULT OF SELFMr. Conner also says:

“The ‘self-belief ‘ terminology was promulgated especially by Norman Vincent Peale in his multi-million dollar seller textbook, THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING.

“His basic premise in the book was ‘Believe in yourself ‘. The language of ‘self-belief ‘ is ‘Have faith in yourself ‘, ‘Have faith in your faith’, and so on. It involves total self-confidence. You must believe in yourself.

“… The whole emphasis in self-belief is believing in yourself, your own power, your own abilities, having full self-confidence.”

After the most recent Super Bowl we were shocked to hear that a “Christian” sports figure announced that he wanted to give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for the victory that day, followed by his affirmation that he believ­ed in himself, the fans believed in him, his parents believed in him, etc. On another occasion following a victory, another “football star” attributed his successful game to the fact that he believed in himself and “the man up above”. He, too, professed Christianity. (We don’t watch the Super Bowl , etc.; we heard these comments on the Evening News.) What does the Bible say about all this “puffing up” of SELF?

“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3).

It is no coincidence that this verse starts with the word “CIRCUMCISION” and ends with “NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH”. In the act of redemption, the Holy Ghost circumcises the foreskin of the heart (Rom. 2:29), removing all stubbornness and rebellion, “putting off the body of the sins of the flesh ” (Colossians 2:11) — thus rendering “a new creature ” (Galatians 6:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17). This new creature therefore glories in the Lord:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (I Corinthians 1:31).

That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth… (Isaiah 65:16).

In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory (Isaiah 45:25).

In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name for ever (Psalm 44:8).

This new creature glories in the fact that he not only knows about God — He actually knows Him in a personal way and attributes all his success to Him:

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me. (Jeremiah 9:23‑24).

This new creature also glories in the cross whereby he is crucified to the world, its ways, and its entrapments:

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14).

Perhaps the greatest promulgator of the “Self-Esteem Movement” next to Norman Vincent Peale is Robert Schuller. Their books collectively fill the shelves in the various and sundry bookstores. Following you will read some excerpts from Dr. Schuller’s book, SELF-ESTEEM: THE NEW REFORMATION. Pay close attention to the wording in each quote. As you line them up with the sacred Scriptures, you will discover that this man is preaching another Jesus and another Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4) and is of a perverted spirit proclaiming a doctrine of devils that Paul spoke of in I Timothy 4:1:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that IN THE LATTER TIMES some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety even when she was in a right relationship with God. You, too, can be deceived. Therefore, let nothing and/or no one (especially a big‑named preacher) seduce you from your pure and sincere devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). Read the following excerpts watchfully and prayerfully:

“Yes, what we need in the world-wide Christian Church today is nothing less than a new reformation. Where the 16th century Reformation returned our focus to sacred Scriptures as the only infallible rule for faith and practice, the new reformation will return our focus to the sacred right of every person to self-esteem.” (p. 38)

“…Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem.” (p. 14)

“A person is in hell when he has lost his self–esteem.” (p. 15)

“Self–esteem then, or ‘pride in being a human being’, is the single greatest need facing the human race today.” (p. 19)

“It is precisely at this point that classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be ‘God–centered’, not ‘man–centered.’” (p. 64)

“Classical theology defines sin as ‘rebellion against God’. The answer is not incorrect as much as it is shallow and insulting to the human being.” (p. 65)

“To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self–image, from inferiority to self–esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to truth.” (p. 68)

“Reformation theology failed to make clear that the core of sin is a lackof self–esteem…

If the goal of salvation is to ‘glorify God’, then the solution must result in restoring self ­respect, self‑esteem, self‑worth, and a noble pride in persons. God is glorified when His children are honored…

The most serious sin is the one that causes me to say, I am unworthy! I may have no claim to divine sonship if you examine me at my worst! For once a person believes he is an ‘unworthy sinner’, it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Jesus Christ.” (p. 98)

“…The Incarnation was God’s glorification of the human body…” (p.100)

“Historical theology has too often failed to interpret repentance as a positive force. ‘Metanoia’, the Greek word for repentance, does not mean self–condemnation, self–denigration, self–abasement. Rather, it means the turning of one’s life from sin to the Lordship of Christ. It is a turning from sin, with its rejection of self-esteem as the way to self-fulfillment to sanctification … Negative thinking theologians looked at the doctrine of sin, salvation, and repentance … through distorted glass tinted with a mortification mentality.” (p. 104)

“…At the same time, any creed, any Biblical interpretation, and any systematic theology that assaults or offends the self–esteem of persons is heretically failing to be truly Christian…” (Pgs. 135-136)

“The great error of classical theology is not starting with the value of the person, but treating them as ‘unworthy sinners’. The result has been the glorification of human shame in Christian theology.” (p. 180)

The 16th Century Reformers are condemned. Why? Because they turned peoples’ focus back to “the sacred Scriptures”. The new reformation maintained by Dr. Schuller is turning people’s focus to “the sacred right of every person to self-esteem”. Now you have the “sacred Scriptures” on the same level with the “sacred right of every person to self-esteem”! WHAT BLASPHEMY!

Sin is said to rob man of his self-esteem. The Bible states otherwise. Sin robs God of the glory due His name:“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

A person is said to be in HELL when he loses his self-esteem. The Bible teaches that HELL is a literal place of literal eternal fire. It’s a place where men go who have lost their soul — not their self-esteem.

Dr. Schuller says that man’s greatest need is self-esteem. THAT’S ODD! Shouldn’t a preacher of righteousness admit that man’s greatest need is God and a right relationship with Him through repentance and faith?

Karl Marx saw man’s greatest need to be “economic equality”. Sigmund Freud, “a completely godless Jew” and a “hopeless pagan” (this is what he called himself) saw man’s chief need as being pleasure. B.F. Skinner believed man’s deepest needs could be met by “reconditioning through experts”. Alfred Adler saw man’s highest need as power, dominion, and control. Victor Frank saw man’s greatest need was having “meaning to life”. 0. Hobart Mowrer believed man’s deepest needs could be met through “Group Therapy”. Erich Fromm believed man to be inherently good, and that man is the “measure of all things”. Fromm also believed that evil was not in man but in society. Change society, and all will be well. Carl Rogers believed that man was autonomous, having no need of God. Man has the answers deep within himself. His greatest need is acceptance. Lastly, Abraham Maslow advocated that man should have his needs met firstbefore any one else’s needs can be met. (Facts taken from THE KINGDOM CULT OF SELF.)

These are a collection of atheists, evolutionists, and godless men who down through the years have infiltrated society’s thinking. And Robert Schuller is right there in the midst of them. Didn’t the Bible say, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing… “? (2 Cor. 6:17)

Their philosophies are ingrained in society’s everyday thought patterns. Take, for example, Sigmund Freud’s philosophy that man’s greatest need is pleasure. You cannot go anywhere in the world where you will not witness his philosophy blatantly preached through the billboards, TV ads, magazine racks at the check-out counter in the grocery stores, movie theaters, and unfortunately even the Church house. You are constantly barraged with the concept that you need pleasure and all the nudity and pornography flashed in your face is one way for you to satisfy your need.

Recently, we heard that the Russians in the Soviet Union were becoming bored with their various newscasts. So their solution is to now have all the anchorwomen sit before the cameras in the most risqué underwear. Has Freud infiltrated their thinking or what?

2 Timothy 3:4 not only says that in the last days men would be “LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES” but also “LOVERS OF PLEASURES MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD”. Nowadays the seminaries and Bible Schools are requiring the students to study philosophy and psychology. As a result, the preachers are preaching messages that cater to this so-called need for pleasure advocated by Freud. Very seldom do you see fiery prophets in the pulpit denouncing sin and driving out devils. Instead you find counselors/psychologists whose main objective is to heal “hurts and needs” and make people “feel good”. (Remember Kevin Conner’s words from the preface of his book on self: “The Self-Esteem Movement” advocates the necessity of “feeling good about yourself”.)

Read what Pastor John MacArthur says in his book OUR SUFFICENCY IN CHRIST:

“Theology has become more and more humanistic. The focus has shifted from God to people and their problems and counseling has replaced worship and evangelism as the main program of many churches. Most seminaries now put more energy into teaching ministerial students psychology than training them to preach.”

As already mentioned, another philosopher Erich Fromm believed that man was inherently good, and that evil was not in man but in society. Recently, we met a young college student (who happened to be a homosexual) who we witnessed to over a period of months. After some time he told us that he did the “Prayer Journey” in his Church. He went from one room to another as the doors were labeled “Repentance”, “Prayer”, “Praise”, etc. He announced to us that he asked Jesus into his life. He said that he felt it was the right thing to do at the time. In the same breath he claimed that he was always a basically good person, never doing much wrong. We obviously challenged this “conversion”. We don’t believe that anyone comes from Calvary believing they are basically good. Our conclusion was that he needed to take another “Prayer Journey”. The first one didn’t take. It sounds like Erich Fromm had some influence on this man’s thinking!

Go to most funerals, and you will hear most preachers preach the dead into heaven. Why? Because they believe that man is basically good and can do no wrong. If the life was a “disaster” it’s usually blamed on society or environment, not on SIN! (I wonder if these preachers learned how to conduct a funeral in Psychology 101 class while in Bible School?)

According to Schuller, theology shouldn’t be “God-centered” but “man-centered”. After all, God’s master plan was not to redeem mankind from sin’s eternal doom in hell but to give man dignity and respect. Schuller also implies that Jesus didn’t come in the flesh and take on a human body to become the Perfect Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world and “condemn sin in the flesh “(Romans 8:3) as the Bible says. NO! Dr. Schuller says that He took on a body to glorify the body!

God forbid if any preacher would assault or offend the sinner by calling sin “rebellion against God”. This is insulting, according to Schuller. All you negative-thinking theologians must rid yourself of this “mortification mentality”. Schuller protests that God is glorified when his children are full of pride, self-respect, self-worth, and self-esteem and to assault a person’s self-esteem by negative preaching is failing to be truly Christian. Is God glorified when His children are honored, having “self-respect, self-esteem, self-worth, and a noble pride”? What does the Bible say? Psalm 50:23 says that God is glorified when you praise Him:

Whoso offereth praise glorfieth Me…

Psalm 50:15 says that God is glorified when you call on Him in trouble for deliverance:

And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.

Isaiah 61:3 says that God is glorified when you are full of the oil of joy, wearing the garment of praise, and living holy and pure lives wherever God situates you:

…that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.

Matthew 5:16 says that God is glorified when you are a bold witness for Him:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven.

John 14:13 says that God is glorified when you receive answers to prayer:

And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 15:8 says that God is glorified when you are full of the fruits of righteousness:

Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit…

1 Peter 4:11 says that God is glorified when you minister in His anointing and power:

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God, if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified…

I Peter 4:14 says that God is glorified when you suffer for His name’s sake:

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of Godresteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.

Notice the emphasis in each of these Scriptures is on GOD and not SELF! One statement that Dr. Schuller made was good, yet it was clothed in doubt

“IF THE GOAL OF SALVATION IS TO GLORIFY GOD…”

No “if s” about it! The goal of salvation is to GLORIFY GOD. In fact, you are commanded throughout the Scriptures to GLORIFY GOD!

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore GLORIFY GOD in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (I Corinthians 6:20)

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God ” (I Corinthians 10:31)

“That ye may with one mind and one mouth GLORIFY GOD, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5)

“Give unto the LORD, 0 ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Psalms 29:1-2)

GLORIFY GOD! You were saved to GLORIFY GOD! You were healed to GLORIFY GOD! You were delivered to GLORIFY GOD! NOT SELF BUT GOD! Psalms 115:1 tells us plainly who deserves all the praise and honor:

“Not unto us, 0 LORD, not unto US but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake. ”

Jesus’ top priority was to glorify God the Father:

“I have glorified Thee on the earth… (John 17:4)

Paul also sought to glorify God:

…but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20)

And you, too, should seek fervently to glorify God:

That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:12)

For the day is coming when Jesus will come back in the glory of His Father for His children:

When He shall come to be glorified in His saints… (2 Thessalonians 1: 10)

If God was so concerned about building up man’s self-esteem, why did He compare man to something so insignificant as grass:

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. (I Peter 1:24)

Outside of Christ, you are filthy and unclean, and God openly calls your righteousness “filthy rags”:

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags… (Isaiah 64:6)

Of all the animals God chose to compare you with, He chose the most stupid, weakest, and most helpless — THE SHEEP!

For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:7).

God obviously is not in the business of building man’s ego. However, man and the devil are.

There are serious consequences for not glorifying God. For one, there is a clear-cut deflection from the right course for any individual, family, church, ministry, or nation that refuses to glorify God. Three passages of Scripture attest to this fact. Romans 1:21-32 records that those who know God and glorify Him not as God become “vain in their imaginations “, their heart becomes darkened, their wisdom becomes foolishness, they worship the creature more than the Creator, whereby God gives them over to “uncleanness ” and “vile affections”.

Revelation 18:1-7 states that Babylon has become “the habitation of evils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird”. Why? Revelation 18:7 says that instead of glorifying God “Howmuch she hath glorified herself. ”

2 Timothy 3:1-5 lists among those who love their own selves and pleasures more than God those who are “without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce… traitors…”

Obviously, Satan loves when SELF is glorified instead of JESUS. Judging from these Scriptures, to neglect to glorify God is to give place to the devil and open the door for demonic activity.

It seems like the “Self-Esteem Movement” is the fruit of a people who neglected to glorify God. If you don’t glorify God, you will glorify something or someone. Most likely it will be your own SELF.

For some, refusing to give God the glory brings sudden destruction. Daniel 5:23 outlines King Belshazzar’s end. He exalted HIMSELF before God by drinking wine in the vessels of God’s house, praising the gods of silver and gold, and the “God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified” (Daniel 5:23). Consequently, he met his doom and destruction that night at the hand of the Persians. In Acts 12:21-23 King Herod made an oration to which the people attributed it to the ‘voice of a god”. Immediately, the angel of the Lord smote him with worms because “he gave not God the glory.”

There will be no Revival as long as the “Self-Esteem Movement” survives. For the Holy Ghost, the Initiator and the Carrier of all Revivals, will only work where JESUS is glorified — not SELF. This Movement is sent by Satan to hinder and oppose any possible move of God in America.

IT MUST BE PRAYED AGAINST! IT MUST BE PREACHED AGAINST! SELF must be dethroned!

Jesus must be given His rightful place as ruling and reigning King of kings and Lord of lords. When He is, you will then see one of the greatest moves of God this world has ever seen. For the Holy Ghost will never glorify SELF. He is here only to glorify JESUS!

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